


And a Ring to Keep You Safe

by 3_modes_Ace_Kat



Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: Also Zolf let me address your bloody trauma, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Shield Other is an amazing spell, These are two self sacrificing idiots, kinda sorta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-18 04:47:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28861296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/3_modes_Ace_Kat/pseuds/3_modes_Ace_Kat
Summary: These idiots are very bad at dealing with their trauma. But Wilde is trying. And Zolf will go very far to protect what he considers his.
Relationships: Zolf Smith/Oscar Wilde
Comments: 6
Kudos: 51





	1. The Offer / The Ring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shield Other is a spell that Zolf can cast and he's not about to let Wilde go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This first part was written by someone else and they were kind enough to let me use it.

"Put this on." Zolf smacks the simple steel band on Wilde's desk the night before they leave for Hiroshima.

It's a Shield Other Spell. Zolf is already wearing the matching one. What ever hit Wilde takes, up to a frankly *ridiculous* degree, it will go directly to him. He can take it. He did the calculations.

He has been pondering this for months. Wilde can barely defend himself without his magic. Bean pole that he is he can barely take a punch. And he's important. To the mission. Important to the mission. No one else has a grasp on as many of the moving pieces as Wilde does and if he goes down because of some stray arrow that Zolf could have taken for him... He couldn't watch Wilde die. Not after all this time.

"What is it?" Wilde is playing with the ring, letting it slip through his fingers like a magic trick and for one moment Zolf sees Sasha before him, clear as day, doing the same with a small coin.

He blinks the imagery away. He couldn't protect her but he can protect Wilde.

"Just put it on." He sounds more gruff than intended. He doesn't want to explain himself.

"Oh *my* Mr. Smith. And here I am daring to think our proposal would have been slightly more romantic than this."

Zolf can't help the blush spreading across his ears. Of course he'd make a joke out of this. Like Zolf hasn't been trying to figure out what he's feeling for months, even without the question of if Wilde would reciprocate, what ever he is feeling.

"It's not... *fine* if that makes you put it on then sure." it doesn't matter he tells himself. It doesn't matter what Wilde thinks of him. It only matters that he's safe.

He can't look Wilde in the eye as he turns to leave the office, but he can feel the ring on his hand grow warm for a second as he puts it on.

"Don't take it off." He grits through his teeth as he passes through the door.

—————-

The engine is gone.

The stream of expletives that leaves Zolf's mouth traverses the seven seas but the intent is clear. He rings the bell as he tries his best to keep the ship from crashing.

It's hopeless, he knows it. But he's doing the best he can, if he knows anything that he is a damn fine sailor. If everyone just holds on they'll be *fine*.

He braces for impact.

Suddenly his hand grows burning hot and a searing pain through his chest brings him to his knees.

*Wilde*

With a small metallic *ping* the ring breaks and falls into the rubble.

*No*

He knows what it means. There's only thing this *can* mean. And if that's true there's more pressing matters than looking for him, even if everything in his body just wants to run. But he needs to stay.

He needs to help the survivors. Help the one's he hasn't already failed to save.

He can find Wilde's body later.


	2. The Fallout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftereffects of the crash

Zolf doesn’t even realize that he has a massive scar on his chest, the exact size and shape of the chunk of wood that went through Oscar’s chest. It aches and itches and he keeps rubbing at it every time he looks at Wilde’s body, full of broken promises. He doesn’t even realize he’s doing it, but Azu does. Hamid does.

Earhart does.

They don’t found out it till much later, when Zolf has had a chance to bathe, the scar deep and lurid purple, but fading like a massive bruise to reveal just an absolute mass of scar tissue. It’s almost a solid chunk, he thinks. Until he runs his fingers a bit more carefully and realizes he can feel the whorls and knots of wood. The splinters, the crags

Oscar finds out a day or so later, when they’ve had a chance to sit down and start to define their actual relationship, feeling out the edges like blind men, and happy to be doing it together.

Zolf is willing to share, he says, but Oscar can see that it’s costing him to say that. And he keeps rubbing his chest, like the whole conversation is hurting his heart, but he’s pushing through it for Oscar’s sake

“We don’t have to talk about it.” Oscar insists, fidgeting with anything in reach because this talk involves Feelings, god forbid. But this is Important, Oscar needs to know where they stand. Not at the expense of Zolf’s pain though. The man looks a little uncomfortable, but he’s pressing on, making sure that Oscar knows that he’s incredibly important to Zolf. Yet he keeps rubbing his chest.

“I want to. You’re worth finding the words for.” Zolf says. “I .. I’m not willing to lose you without you knowing what you are to me. You came back because I asked. I want you to know.. to know exactly what that means, from my end.”

“And what would that be, my dear Zolf?” Wilde can't bring himself to lounge back and pretend anymore. He can’t. He won’t. His hands reach out involuntarily to grab one of Zolf’s, fidgeting with it instead. The contact is soothing and stills a little of his nervous energy.

“I want you to stay, Oscar.” Zolf’s voice has gone unbearably soft and tender. “I want to stay with you. I want us to save the world. Together. And.. and get to retire.. I want us to.. to travel and see all the high society you miss.. I want to help you feel safe, give you a place to rest. I don’t want to be a burden to you. I want to make you smile like you make me smile.” The smile on Zolf’s face as he finishes is unbearably sweet and sincere.

“Well, you did marry me. You don’t get to return me. Though my ring seems to have gone missing in the crash. Would you happen know anything about that?” Before Zolf can open his mouth though, Oscar shakes his head, the bright white of his hair startling in the corners of his vision. That wasn’t what he’d meant to say.

“I want to stay with you too, Zolf. I may not remember the specifics, but I came back because I didn’t want to leave you. I love you.”

“Oh.” It more exhalation than revelation and Zolf uses the lapels of Wilde’s new shirt to pull him in for a kiss full of heat and fire and adoration. Oscar lets himself get lost in it for a while, hands on Zolf’s chest to feel his heart beat. It takes a few minutes for the wrongness to register, the raised tissue that feels too hard. He’s seen Zolf naked plenty of times, during quarantines. The last was within the last month. He would know about this.

“Zolf, what happened to you?” Oscar finally says, pulling back with a sigh of regret. Sadly, his curiosity had always been an undoing of his. “I know you’ve been taking care of everyone else. But I don't remember anyone saying you'd been hurt?”

Zolf presses a hand to his chest, like he can hide the knowledge from Oscar.

“It’s nothing important.”

“Zolf.” It’s an 18 months long argument for them, insisting that the other take more care with themselves.

“Alright fine.” Who knew that a tiny application of puppy dog eyes would get Zolf Smith, stubborness extraordinaire, to cave this fast? Oscar files that fact away for later and vows not take advantage of it. Too often.

“So you know the ring that I gave you, before we let?”

“Along with least romantic proposal I’ve ever gotten.”

“What, wait what? You gotten other proposals?”

Wilde smiles, but it’s more fond than he wants at this rare display of jealousy. “Of course. I was quite the hot commodity back in London. And Paris. And a few other places I could name.”

Zolf is developing a thundercloud, hand once again rubbing at his chest, catching at the edges and scratching.

“But apparently what I wanted in life was a grumpy dwarf. I needed you.”

That soothes him, and he sits back, though Oscar misses the intensity a bit

“But we’ve gotten off topic. The rings?””

“The rings. Right, the rings. Gonna need to get you a new set. You’re too precious to walk around with them.” The last is more muttered, like an aside but it makes Oscar feel warm. “They were Rings of Shield Other. You are too important to the mission. And me. Definitely me. To wander around without them. But then the ship crashed. And you.. you.. you..”

Zolf stutters to a stop, devastated by the image trapped behind his eyelids. Oscar opens his mouth to help, draw him back to a world where they both lived and are fine. He doesn’t get the chance before Zolf stands abruptly, pulling his shirt off. The .. the scar is disgusting. It makes every bone in Oscar thrum, his throat hurt with the need to sing and soothe and get it off Zolf’s skin. It shouldn’t be there.

“You uh.. you took a mast to the chest. And the rings kicked in, but” Zolf cuts himself off, as Oscar’s hands land on his chest, already unconsciously humming, trying to heal. The bruise fades, but that just makes the scar stand out even more; ragged edges and raised lines, with no purple to distract the eye. The scar doesn’t heal. It doesn’t fade even slightly, heedless of the healing Oscar is pouring into it. It stays and stays and stays.

Involuntarily, Wilde’s mind flashes to what he must have looked like, to make a scar that large. It’s, it’s not a thought he is interested in contemplating long. Which leaves him staring at the mark he’s carved into Zolf’s skin, however unwittingly. The thought hurts.

And then another hits like a bolt of lightening and is just as unwanted.

“You would have died and left me.” The words are out but he’s not taking them back.

“I wouldn’t have died. I don’t think. At least I’m pretty sure. I can take more damage, Oscar.” His first name keeps catching them both off guard. “I’ve eaten lightening. I’ve taken shotguns to the face. I could have handled it.” Before Oscar can let loose the towering rage that’s developing “I did the math. You’re more important to this. To everyone. To me. It would have been fine.”

“But you could have -!”

“I would have come back if you asked.” And that cuts Oscar off at the knees,

“If.. if I’d died. And you came for me. I would have come back. Because you asked.”

“But I didn’t. And you did. And you came back. So everything’s okay?” The smile is so much more unsure and Oscar just wants to shake Zolf. Maybe if he shakes the man enough, some self worth will settle in that thick skull of his. Oscar’s eyes are involuntarily drawn to the round puckered mark at Zolf’s temple and his vision tunnels.

“No. No it’s not okay Zolf.” All the words that Oscar wants to say get clogged in his throat and the sob catches them both off guard. Zolf looks panicked, but he’s already reaching out, drawing Oscar into his arms. Who weakly raps on the scar under his head, trying to ignore it out of the corner of his eye.

“I.. I came back *fine*, Zolf. Better than fine. But.. but you have this now.” His flailing hand is caught and tucked between them, wrapped securely in Zolf’s larger one.

“I would have taken more for you not to die.”

“But you shouldn’t have to.” The sobs are shaking him now, rattling into Zolf from every point they’re touching.

“The burden is easy to carry. When it’s for you.”

Oscar’s sobs eventually slow. It shocks him how tired he is. And how willing Zolf is to draw him back and into a shared bed and to let Oscar sleep on him. But Oscar hasn’t forgotten. He’s not letting this go. Thankfully, the rest of Zolf’s team is more well-adjusted and can help.

It’s time to bring in the big spells. It’s time to recruit Azu.


End file.
